Trinidad: Students don’t need mask for CXC exams

Trinidad & Tobago Minister of Education, Anthony Garcia.
Trinidad & Tobago Minister of Education, Anthony Garcia.

(Trinidad Guardian) Students writing the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) will not have to wear masks in the examination rooms but will be subjected to other health controls.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Rosham Parasram said discussions are ongoing between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education.

So far, they have established some guidelines, including allowances for only a small number of students per examination area, temperature checks and sanitising the examination areas.

“I had a discussion together with my PS (Permanent Secretary) and the PS from Education about a week and a half ago regarding the wearing of masks during examinations. We agreed collectively that the best approach would be to create a large social distancing between those individuals. They will use, maybe, just a small amount of people in one particular space at any given point in time.

“There will be no congregation before and after exams and we will sanitise all the surfaces. We are looking to do temperature monitoring as well. If they are ill, they will not be allowed to come into the space. With regards to even the parents, there will not be gathering outside. We will ask that they drop their children off and return for them at the end of the examinations. Those discussions are ongoing with the Ministry of Education, but the wearing of masks will be negated by social distancing in that particular instance,” Parasram said.